How Ogun Catholic priest was shot dead on Christmas Eve

A member of Catholic Church has narrated how Reverend Father Luke Adeleke was murdered by gunmen at Ogunmakin in Obafemi – Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Daily Trust gathered that the hoodlums had waylaid the clergyman at Ogunmakin and shot him dead.

The murdered Reverend Father was in charge of the Catholic Church at Ijemo-Fadipe in Odeda Local Government Area of the state.

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A source who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent on Monday that it might be a failed kidnap attempt.

According to him, the armed men shot the priest in the leg and he died from loss of blood due to the injury he sustained.

He said: “He had gone for a mass in another church and it was while he was returning to his own church that the incident happened.

“They shot him in the leg. He was together with one of the seminarians. We learnt that after he was shot he struggled but he had lost much blood already.”

The source said the assailants fled after shooting him dead.

When asked if it was a case of assassination or robbery, he said: “I feel the gunmen had attempted to stop the vehicle but failed. It appeared as they wanted to shoot the vehicle tyre to stop the vehicle, the bullet hit him in the leg.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, had earlier confirmed the incident.

Oyeyemi said the incident happened at Ogunmakin and not Odeda as it was being reported on social media.

He said the gunmen exchanged gunfire with policemen in the area, but, they later escaped with bullets wounds.

He said: “It happened in Ogunmakin in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the state on Friday.

“The policemen engaged the gunmen in gunfire. Some of them escaped with bullets wounds.”

Speaking with our correspondent on Monday, Oyeyemi said the operatives have launched a manhunt for the killers.

He, however, said no arrest has been made yet.

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